VTR 250 or Hornet 250: Which is best for me?

[Engifar]

Hi all
I have been daily riding a moped, and more recently an open-road-going 200cc scooter, for the last 3 years. I have loved both of them because they were/are so convenient as commuters with their huge storage spaces and auto transmissions. However my friend recently got a ninja 300, and after being chopped by him a few times off the lights i think i may have inadvertently caught the motorcycle disease.
The front runners on my real-world wish list are the honda vtr 250 and the honda hornet 250. Ive narrowed it down to these two because they are in the right price range, they are light and so probably good for commuting, they are both Hondas so shouldnt shit the bed unexpectedly when it's least convenient, and i love the way they both look. I do not know however which one best fits the bill for me.
Most of my riding will be commuting: 10-15 minutes each way into uni from the suburbs, as well as to various chores around the city. I will not be riding on motorways often, just through fairly dense slow-moving traffic and bus lanes. Most important to me is a bike which is zippy at low speed so i can blast into and out of gaps between vehicles at a moments notice, and also small and narrow for easy filtering and general chucking about. However of course I also want speed, power and handling so i can take on my friend on his ninja and not be (completely) disgraced. As i get more confident i'm sure i will be going for occasional trips out to the waitaks, hunuas and beyond also. Whilst i know neither of these bikes are quite on par with the ninja 300 on paper, its the price that is stopping me getting anything more potent.
I understand that the hornet 250 is a fair bit more powerful than the vtr as it is a 4-cylinder with 40 hp rather than 32 from a v-twin. However, i am not so sure that this extra power will be realised at low to mid revs around town, so i am thinking that maybe in my case the (torquier??) vtr might actually get me around quicker. What are your opinions, or experiences, on either of these bikes? Is there anything else in a similar price (about $4k tops) and performance range that i should be considering also?
Thank you all for your help, and i hope to be able to call myself a 'proper' biker by the end of the year!

[Akzle]

obviously need a busa.

[hayd3n]

both are very capable bikes
really you need to try them both out
i used to have a 98 vtr250 and i loved it , very light and nimble and forgiving if you knock it off its stand ,
the 250 hornet however is also a very good choice , and you will not be disappointed with it ,, there is also alot more aftermarket parts avaliable for the hornet,
i have the 600 cc version and im on 120,000kms and has been very reliable
hornet 180mm rear,
vtr 160 if i remember correct,
you will have no issues keeping up with the 300 on either bike :)

[nzspokes]

Hornet 250, every time. Great wee bikes.

Guy at work is about to sell one and i think its got a top box mount.

[rambaldi]

both are very capable bikes
really you need to try them both out
i used to have a 98 vtr250 and i loved it , very light and nimble and forgiving if you knock it off its stand ,
the 250 hornet however is also a very good choice , and you will not be disappointed with it ,, there is also alot more aftermarket parts avaliable for the hornet,
i have the 600 cc version and im on 120,000kms and has been very reliable
hornet 180mm rear,
vtr 160 if i remember correct,
you will have no issues keeping up with the 300 on either bike :)

I love my '06 VTR, the torque works for me and it is a nice easy learner. That said it is in the opposite position to the hornet, there are fuck all farkles for it. I want to waste my money on pretty shit damn it! The only thing I have gotten that is bike specific is a rad guard (and I had to bend the brackets for that a touch). I bought throw over saddle bags and because of the seat design they don't really work as they are meant to, or sit super low.

The VTR250 used to be rated as one of the better learner bikes before LAMS (and I still get a few comments on it now and then) if you get it you should be pretty happy with it, although I don't know that it is objectively better than the hornet.

It might be worth hopping on both, I can't find a Hornet 250 on Motorcycle Ergo (http://cycle-ergo.com/) to see if the seating position is all that different, but it might change things for you. I am on the taller side, and if the VTR pegs were in a slightly different place I would probably have leg space/comfort issues

[MrMarko]

Having ridden both. the vtr is a nimble nice commuter bike it does feel small though.... it is a good bike...

But it has nothing on the power and handling of a hornet. and much more choice of tyres as it runs 600cc sports bike sizes... 120 front 180 rear

I'd go the hornet without question.

[MrMarko]

obviously need a busa.

shhhhhhhhh

[Engifar]

I do obviously need a busa. If you wish to simply give me one, I will happily take it! =D =D =D
But until i have a spare 10ish grand, and a busa-sized spot in the garage, and an ambulance permanently on standby, and a get-out-of-jail-free card...I might have to settle for something a bit more humble.
Currently leaning a bit more towards the vtr as ive had my eye on them for ages and they just look 'right'. But im hearing what you say about the hornet, and they are looking more and more tempting.
What's the fuel consumption and longevity like on the hornet vs the VTR? Not a huge issue, but every dollar saved now is a dollar towards the next rung on the 2-wheel ladder you know =D

[Engifar]

I should also point out that i'm not a very big guy...not going to be too small for the hornet by a long shot, but also definitely not too big for the vtr

[hayd3n]

I do obviously need a busa. If you wish to simply give me one, I will happily take it! =D =D =D
But until i have a spare 10ish grand, and a busa-sized spot in the garage, and an ambulance permanently on standby, and a get-out-of-jail-free card...I might have to settle for something a bit more humble.
Currently leaning a bit more towards the vtr as ive had my eye on them for ages and they just look 'right'. But im hearing what you say about the hornet, and they are looking more and more tempting.
What's the fuel consumption and longevity like on the hornet vs the VTR? Not a huge issue, but every dollar saved now is a dollar towards the next rung on the 2-wheel ladder you know =D

fuel .. its a 250 you will get anywhere and everywhere on a tank
both will last ages :)

[rambaldi]

Both fuel consumptions will be pretty small given the size of the bike and you but you can look here for some numbers:
http://www.fuelly.com/motorcycle/honda/vtr250
http://www.fuelly.com/motorcycle/honda/cb250f_hornet
http://www.fuelly.com/motorcycle/honda/cb250f

The VTR includes a few of the older model and the year averages don't all work

[trufflebutter]

Having ridden both. the vtr is a nimble nice commuter bike it does feel small though.... it is a good bike...

But it has nothing on the power and handling of a hornet. and much more choice of tyres as it runs 600cc sports bike sizes... 120 front 180 rear

I'd go the hornet without question.

Both very forgiving and great learner bikes but there's something about a trellis frame I don't like 100% agree on the Hornet.

[rambaldi]

Both very forgiving and great learner bikes but there's something about a trellis frame I don't like 100% agree on the Hornet.

I personally find the trellis frame a lot more attractive than the one on some of the ones on the Ducs. You look at it at the wrong angle and it doesn't quite work but usually it is okay :p

[Engifar]

I am conflicted in terms of looks...I love the brawniness of the hornet, yet somehow it disappoints a little knowing that it is a 250 when it looks like something bigger. The hornet on the other hand looks very elegant and light and sporty, but just isnt as manly...Oh well, ill let my heart decide eventually!

[Maha]

I am conflicted in terms of looks...I love the brawniness of the hornet, yet somehow it disappoints a little knowing that it is a 250 when it looks like something bigger. The hornet on the other hand looks very elegant and light and sporty, but just isnt as manly...Oh well, ill let my heart decide eventually!

Ultimately it is what floats your boat not anyone else.

[Akzle]

you should definitely base your purchasing decisions on what it looks like.

[GrayWolf]

Here we go.... :laugh:
there are going to be 'supporters' in both camps. So lets deal in a few 'facts'?
You can buy up to a 660cc.... Take a serious thought of the DR50/XT660/KLR660/savage etc singles.... roughly the same performance as a 'good' 250. About 1/3 to 1/2 the RPM needed at motorway speeds. Plenty of torque and they are ALL big mileage bikes that many experienced riders have as 'the bike'.
Servicing.. more cylinders, more money, regardless of capacity. Ask at your local bike shop their A,B,C service charges for singles, twins, four's. Unless you have a service history, that 'expense' for 4 pots, will often mean they have not been correctly maintained, and whether the supporters of hornets/cbr's/jade's etc like it or not. They are getting old, and a vast number will have been owned by young Ernest Thrasher and his mates.
Running costs? Big singles will give about as good a consumption as a 250.
You could pick up a nice GS500 twin, or the Kwacker EN500... not much more power, less revs, better torque, slightly better performance and if you've been riding to 200cc? They will not be intimidating.

I have ridden the VTR and a Jade {same motor, the style before the Hornet} Both ARE nice 250's... Jade requires more 'revving', the V doesnt have the ultimate 'performance' of the 4. However on the road?? how often are you going to be 'drag racing', flat out over the tank, etc? The absolute performance then becomes less important than the style of riding, distances, personal requirement is.

[hayd3n]

Here we go.... :laugh:
there are going to be 'supporters' in both camps. So lets deal in a few 'facts'?
You can buy up to a 660cc.... Take a serious thought of the DR50/XT660/KLR660/savage etc singles.... roughly the same performance as a 'good' 250. About 1/3 to 1/2 the RPM needed at motorway speeds. Plenty of torque and they are ALL big mileage bikes that many experienced riders have as 'the bike'.
Servicing.. more cylinders, more money, regardless of capacity. Ask at your local bike shop their A,B,C service charges for singles, twins, four's. Unless you have a service history, that 'expense' for 4 pots, will often mean they have not been correctly maintained, and whether the supporters of hornets/cbr's/jade's etc like it or not. They are getting old, and a vast number will have been owned by young Ernest Thrasher and his mates.
Running costs? Big singles will give about as good a consumption as a 250.
You could pick up a nice GS500 twin, or the Kwacker EN500... not much more power, less revs, better torque, slightly better performance and if you've been riding to 200cc? They will not be intimidating.

I have ridden the VTR and a Jade {same motor, the style before the Hornet} Both ARE nice 250's... Jade requires more 'revving', the V doesnt have the ultimate 'performance' of the 4. However on the road?? how often are you going to be 'drag racing', flat out over the tank, etc? The absolute performance then becomes less important than the style of riding, distances, personal requirement is.

ive ridden my friends gs650 and found it very boring compared to the vtr, , i guess ive never been a singe fan,

[Engifar]

I have definitely thought about dual-sport singles such as the drz400/dr650 etc in my dreams over the years. For some reason i always seem to go back to looking at the two hondas though, even though the singles would probably suit my urban riding better with the torque. I do like the idea of a sports bike; i am a road cyclist, and i love being tucked in tight over the bars and screaming into corners downhill. Perhaps this is why my thoughts on the singles dont last that long. I guess at the end of the day it will be heart vs mind. Thanks for all the ideas though, this is going to require more thinking than i initially thought!
Also, one cannot forget the sound that 4 cylinders make at 16000 rpm...that would be half the reason i would go for a hornet alone! And yes, looks are a MAJOR part of a young man's first bike, you must all know that!

[hayd3n]

even tho mines 600cc , they look boss :)